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Danville, Kentucky
|established_title = Settled |established_date = 1783 |established_title2 = Incorporated |established_date2 = 1787 |area_total_km2 = 41.2 |area_land_km2 = 41.0 |area_water_km2 = 0.2 |area_water_percent = |population_as_of = 2010 |population_total = 16218 |population_density_km2 = 395.7 |timezone = EST |utc_offset = -5 |timezone_DST = EDT |utc_offset_DST = -4 |coordinates_display = display=inline,title |latd = 37 |latm = 38 |lats = 44 |latNS = N |longd = 84 |longm = 46 |longs = 11 |longEW = W |elevation_ft = 984 |postal_code_type = ZIP codes |postal_code = 40422-40423 |area_code = 859 |blank_name = FIPS code |blank_info = 21-19882 |blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 0490584 |website = |footnotes = }} Danville is a Class 3 city in Boyle County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census. Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties. In 2001, Danville received a Great American Main Street Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In 2011, ''Money'' magazine placed Danville as the fourth-best place to retire in the United States. Danville has recently been twice chosen to host U.S. Vice-Presidential debates, in 2000 and in 2012. History Within Kentucky, Danville is called the "City of Firsts": * It housed the first courthouse in Kentucky. * It had the first U.S. post office west of the Allegheny Mountains. * It hosts the first state-supported school for the deaf. * It is the site of Ephraim McDowell's groundbreaking removal of an ovarian tumor. * It is the home of Centre College, housing the oldest college administration building and campus west of the Allegheny Mountains. Danville was part of the Great Settlement Area around Harrod's Fort (present-day Harrodsburg), which was first settled in 1774. The site was originally known as Crow's Station for settler John Crow, but the town was surveyed and platted by Walker Daniel, Kentucky's first district attorney, who bought near the Wilderness Road from Crow in 1783. The city was named for Daniel. The Virginia legislature officially established Danville on December 4, 1787. Between 1784 and 1792, ten conventions were held in Danville to petition for better governance and ultimately to secure independence from Virginia. In 1786 the Danville Political Club was organized. It met each Saturday night at Grayson's Tavern to discuss the political, economic, and social concerns of the day. After a state constitution was adopted and separation was confirmed in 1792, the town ceased to be of statewide importance, and its leading citizens moved elsewhere. Transylvania University was founded in Danville in 1783. It moved to Lexington in 1789. Centre College was founded in 1819. Danville Theological Seminary was founded in 1853; in 1901 it became part of the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. The Caldwell Institute for Young Ladies was founded in 1860. It became Caldwell Female College in 1876, Caldwell College in 1904, Kentucky College for Women in 1913, and merged into Centre College in 1926. In November 1806, Meriwether Lewis, co-leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, visited Danville while traveling the Wilderness Road to Washington, D.C., to report on the expedition. In December 1806, William Clark visited his nephews in school in Danville before following Lewis to Washington. The first school in Danville for African-American children was founded around 1840 by Willis Russell, an emancipated slave of Revolutionary War veteran Robert Craddock. Craddock deeded a log house in Danville to Russell, who moved to the town after Craddock's death and started a school for children. The house still stands on Walnut Street."Boyle Landmark Trust, Willis Russell House" In 1842, Boyle County was formed from southern Mercer County and northern Lincoln County. Danville became its county seat. In 1850, Danville and Boyle County backed construction of the Lexington and Danville Railroad. Money ran out when the railroad reached Nicholasville, and John A. Roebling had built towers for a suspension bridge over the Kentucky River. (Roebling lived in Danville during the construction.) Despite the lack of a railroad to Danville, the county still owed $150,000; it completed payment on time in 1884.Fackler, Calvin M., Early Days in Danville, Standard Printing Co., Louisville, 1941. In 1860, a fire devastated the city, destroying 64 buildings and causing over $300,000 in damages. Boyle County's courthouse was among the destroyed buildings; its replacement was completed in 1862. After the Battle of Perryville in the Civil War on October 8, 1862, many Danville buildings, including the courthouse, were appropriated by Union forces for use as a hospital. On October 11, a Union force drove Confederate forces from the county fairgrounds through Danville. In 1775, Archibald McNeill planted Kentucky's first recorded hemp crop at Clark's Run Creek near Danville. Boyle County became one of ten Kentucky counties which together produced over 90% of the US yield in 1889. It was the state's largest cash crop until 1915 when it lost its market to imported jute. From the turn of the 20th century through the 1960s, Danville was home to a thriving African-American business sector located on and around 2nd Street on the western edge of what is now Constitution Square Historic Site. The business sector was demolished by Urban Renewal in the 1970s to allow for the expansion of Constitution Square Park."Danville-Boyle County African American Historical Society" On October 5, 2000, Dick Cheney and Senator Joe Lieberman, candidates for Vice President of the United States, debated at Centre College during the 2000 presidential election. On October 11, 2012, Centre College again hosted the Vice-Presidential debate, this time between Vice President Joe Biden and Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan. Geography Danville is located in eastern Boyle County at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.58%, is water. Transportation ;Bus DanTran provides bus service inside Danville. Other bus lines connect Danville with Lexington, Stanford, Junction City, and Lancaster. ;Road * U.S. Route 127 bisects Danville northwest (Harrodsburg) to south (Liberty). * U.S. Route 150 bisects Danville west (Perryville, Springfield) to southeast (Stanford). * U.S. Route 127 and U.S. Route 150 also bypass Danville on the west and south. * Kentucky Route 33 enters Danville from north (Burgin, Versailles). * Kentucky Route 34 connects Danville northeast to U.S. Route 27 and on to Lexington. * Kentucky Route 52 connects Danville east to Lancaster. ;Air Stuart Powell Field (DVK), from downtown, serves as Danville's general aviation airport. Blue Grass Airport (LEX) in Lexington, away, provides the closest commercial service. More extensive commercial service is available from Louisville International Airport (SDF), away, and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), away. ;Rail Norfolk Southern Railway operates a freight rail yard and crew-change station in Danville; the crew-change station is moving to Somerset, Kentucky. Its Louisville-Chattanooga line intersects with its Cincinnati-Chattanooga line in Danville. A total of 135 employees were relocated in 2011 to Burnside. Climate |date=August 2010 }} Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 15,477 people, 6,223 households, and 4,013 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 6,734 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.67% White, 13.02% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.82% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.48% of the population. Of the 6,223 households, 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.82. 22.4% of the population was under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.2 males. The median income for a household was US $32,938, and the median income for a family was $40,528. Males had a median income of $35,327 versus $24,542 for females. The per capita income was $18,906. About 9.4% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.6% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over. Crime FBI crime statistics for 2009 list the crime rate (per 100,000 population) for Danville as follows: Education ;Public schools Danville Schools operates three elementary schools, one middle school, and Danville High School for the city of Danville. Boyle County Schools operates three elementary schools, one middle school, and Boyle County High School for portions of Danville and the remainder of Boyle County. Kentucky School for the Deaf provides education to Kentucky's deaf and hard-of-hearing children from elementary through high school. ;Private schools Two private schools operate in Danville: *Danville Christian Academy *Danville Montessori School ;Colleges and universities Centre College, a nationally-recognized liberal arts college, is located in Danville. Four other colleges and universities have campuses in Danville: *Bluegrass Community and Technical College *Eastern Kentucky University *Midway College *National College Culture On March 2, 2010, Danville voted to go "wet" (to permit sale of packaged alcohol and sale of alcohol by the drink without restriction by size of premises). Places of interest * Centre College is a top liberal arts college; it hosted the 2000 and 2012 Vice Presidential debates. * Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge is a nature preserve. * Chateau du Vieux Corbeau Winery produces wine from local grapes and fruit. * Community Arts Center is an historic Beaux Arts building that is a hub for local artist activity. * Confederate Monument is an early 20th-century statue dedicated to Kentucky's Civil War veterans. * Constitution Square is a park containing restored and recreated frontier buildings; the first Kentucky constitution was written and signed here. * Crow-Barbee House is the oldest stone structure west of the Allegheny Mountains. * Danville National Cemetery contains dead from the Battle of Perryville. * Ephraim McDowell House Museum is the house where Ephraim McDowell performed his groundbreaking ovariotomy. * Great American Dollhouse Museum is a social history museum in miniature. * Jones Visual Arts Center is a gallery and primary studio for internationally known glass artist Stephen Rolfe Powell. * Perryville Battlefield is a park that preserves a significant Civil War battlefield. * Wilderness Trace Distillery produces bourbon, rye whiskey, and vodka from locally grown grains. Theater Four venues for theatrical productions live in Danville. The Norton Center for the Arts is a state-of-the-art host for performing and visual arts events throughout the year. Pioneer Playhouse is the oldest outdoor theater in Kentucky, and the first theater officially designated as Kentucky's state theater. It features summer-stock productions using local and nationally-known artists. West T. Hill Community Theatre is a community theater with an acclaimed company of actors. Gravely Hall Performing Arts Center is located in Danville High School and is home to the performing arts in the Danville Schools system. Annual events * The Great American Brass Band Festival (June) is a free, three-day outdoor festival that features performances from brass bands from throughout the country. Other events have joined the festival like picnics, wine festivals, bourbon tastings, and the Great American Balloon Race. * The Boyle County Fair (June) is a fun-filled county fair. * Constitution Square Arts Fest (September) hosts local and regional arts and crafts. * The Kentucky State BBQ Festival (September) provides good music and good food from some of the country's best BBQ Pitmasters. * The Forkland Heritage Festival (October) celebrates the culture of an historic community. * Perryville Battle Reenactment (October) is an authentic reliving of one of Kentucky's most significant Civil War battles. Media The Advocate-Messenger, a daily (except Saturday) newspaper, serves Danville and surrounding counties. Local radio stations include three AM stations: WDFB-AM (1170) WHBN (1420) WHIR (1230) and three FM stations: WDFB-FM (88.1) WLAI (107.1) WRNZ (105.1) Films shot in Danville * Raintree County (1957) is a big-budget, epic film set during the Civil War. A short film, Operation Raintree, was shot to promote Raintree County. * Treasure of Matecumbe (1976) is a Walt Disney Productions family adventure film. * Child of Glass (1978) is a made-for-TV movie distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. * Lawn Dogs (1997) is a drama film released by Rank Organisation * ''Summerstock (2002), by Robby Henson, chronicled a year in the busy, eccentric life of Pioneer Playhouse. Sister cities Danville has one sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International: * Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom Notable residents The following are highly noted people from Danville. For a more complete list see List of people from Danville, Kentucky. * John Boyle (1774–1834), U.S. federal judge and U.S. Representative. Boyle County, Kentucky, was named after him. * John C. Breckinridge (1821–1875), U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky, Vice President of the United States, U.S. presidential candidate, Confederate States Secretary of War * John Marshall Harlan (1833–1911), U.S. Supreme Court Justice; "The Great Dissenter" * Ephraim McDowell (1771–1830), American physician, first to successfully remove an ovarian tumor * Theodore O'Hara (1820–1867), poet and soldier * Hugh L. Scott (1853–1934), Superintendent of West Point, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army in World War I * Isaac Shelby (1750-1826), first and fifth governor of Kentucky, soldier in Lord Dunmore's War, the American Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812 * Frank X Walker (1961-), Kentucky's first African-American Poet Laureate Major employers Major employers include: * AdMart International (Custom-made signs) * The Advocate-Messenger (Newspaper publishing and printing) * The Allen Co. (Mixed asphalt) * American Greetings (Distribution and packaging) * Berry Plastics formerly Pliant Corporation * Burkmann Feeds (Feed manufacturing) * Caterpillar Inc. (Tractor parts) * Centre College (Education) * Dana Corporation (Engine gaskets) * Denyo Manufacturing Corp. (Generators) * Ephraim McDowell Health (Health care) * Hobart Corporation (Commercial dishwashers) * Intelligrated formerly FKI Logistex (Conveyor equipment) * Meggitt (Aircraft braking systems) * National Office Furniture (Furniture) * Panasonic (Vacuum cleaners) * Pioneer Vocational Industrial Services (Sheltered workshop) * Red Wing Shoes (Leather boots) * RR Donnelley (Offset printing) * Self Refind (Drug treatment clinics) * Sellers Engineering Co. (Industrial boilers) * The Timberland Company (Distribution center) *TransNav USA (Plastic Injection) See also * Best places in the US to retire * Junction City, Kentucky, a nearby city originally known as Danville Junction and South Danville References Further reading * * External links * City of Danville official website * Danville-Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau * Danville, Boyle County Chamber of Commerce * Danville/Boyle County Economic Development Partnership Category:Cities in Boyle County, Kentucky Category:Danville, Kentucky Category:Cities in Kentucky Category:Former colonial and territorial capitals in the United States Category:County seats in Kentucky Category:Danville, Kentucky micropolitan area